


A Taste of Scotland

by AgentOfShip



Series: Meet-Cute Prompts [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Jemma Simmons Has No Chill, Jemma has a crush, Meet-Cute, bagpiper fitz, but who can't blame her, kilt wearing Fitz, need i say more?, smut week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 16:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20312200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentOfShip/pseuds/AgentOfShip
Summary: Jemma is spending her vacations in Edinburgh with her friend Daisy before going back for a new year at Oxford University. Being a smart, sophisticated woman, Jemma prides herself in her taste for the beautiful museums and natural sights Edinburgh has to offer, and if she'd been spending quite a lot of time on High Street watching a certain bagpiper play his instrument, it's only, of course, because he's a wonderful musician.Written for Smut Week for the themes Meet-cute, Kisses and first kiss.





	A Taste of Scotland

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to @LibbyWeasley for the encouragement and for making this look a lot nicer to read as always.  
I'm already kind of attached to this verse so I would be very inclined to write a follow up or two and have Fitz's POV for instance :)

It was all ridiculous really. She had spent half her summers in Perthshire and been to Edinburgh more times than she could count. She knew the place almost better than her hometown. Street musicians were mostly a tourist attraction and it shouldn't have such an effect on her. _He_ shouldn't have such an effect on her. And yet, despite having decided to go to the National Portrait Gallery while Daisy went out to buy all the tartan souvenirs she could find, Jemma had somehow found herself at the same spot she'd stopped five days in a row on High Street, promising herself she would only take a look to see if he was here and stay no more than ten minutes if that was the case. 

It had been more than an hour now. 

Dark clouds were gathering ahead and she should probably move and go to the museum before it started raining again. But there was just something about him. He really was a great musician to start with. Not everyone could make the bagpipe sound so nice and melodious. Especially on High Street during festival season when there were two other street musicians within hearing distance. And okay, he was very cute, even despite the funny faces playing the bagpipe forced you to do, and he had a lot of charisma, he was funny and his choice of songs was rather original and… she was absolutely fantasizing about him and his kilt.

Which made her feel completely mortified. It wasn't like her to reduce a man down to a physical appearance and choice of clothes. She'd seen men in kilts all her life. What could possibly be so special about him?

"How was the museum?" Daisy whispered in her ear and Jemma startled before turning around to find her friend grinning at her. 

"Daisy! Don't scare me like that! I didn't see you coming."

"Of course you didn't see me!"

"We were supposed to call each other when we were—"

"I wasn't far and I had a feeling I would find you here…"

"I wasn't here all the time!" Jemma lied, feeling her cheeks heat up as she spoke. 

"Of course. What did you see at the museum then?" 

"Paintings?" Daisy raised her eyebrows and Jemma sighed. "Ugh fine. I've been here the whole time, I'm pathetic."

"Will you go and give him your number already? You haven't been on a date since that idiot Milton so it cannot possibly be worse."

"No, I can't do that. He's working and I don't want to do that in front of everyone."

"Ugh Jemma, will you stop acting like a lovesick teenager? I've seen you stand up in class to correct several very respected Oxford professors. Surely, you can summon a little courage and ask the cutie out!"

"It's not the same Daisy. When it comes to science, I _know_ I'm right."

Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes but Jemma could already see her friend's cogs turning. 

"Fine, then walk up to him and put your number in his hat instead of money."

"But how will he know it's mine?"

"Oh, he'll know! It's been five days. Your heart eyes are not exactly discreet. Worst case scenario, he's not interested and doesn't call you and that's the end of it. But if he is, you might finally get to see what's under his kilt."

"Daisy!" Jemma hissed at her friend as she pulled her to the side after noticing the knowing grins on the two women next to them. 

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you don't want to—"

"Have you seen him? Of course I want to know what's under his kilt!" 

For a second, Jemma wondered if she had suddenly gone deaf, which would have probably been better, but then, she heard the laughter right before the music started again. And that's when she realized she had managed to say the most embarrassing sentence of their conversation during the ten seconds he'd chosen to take a break. Daisy was biting her lip not to laugh and Jemma thought her cheeks might catch on fire if they grew even hotter. So Jemma did the only thing she could think of, bowed her head down and fled the scene. There was laughter and a few whistles as she made her way through the crowd and she tried her best to ignore them.

"Jemma!" Daisy called out but she kept walking until she could turn into the first deserted close, those tiny passages connecting the biggest streets in Edinburgh, and let her forehead hit the wall. Repeatedly.

-0-0-0-

Two hours and a lot of tea later, Jemma still couldn't stop thinking about it. She hadn't managed to read more than a few pages of her book, her mind insisting on remaining focused on her embarrassment. Daisy had invited her friend to accompany her to do more shopping to get her mind off it but Jemma didn't feel like it would help. She didn't need tartan anything. The only tartan she was interested in at the moment was on a ridiculously attractive bagpiper she was too mortified to talk to. And on top of that, she would now have to avoid one of the city's main streets for the rest of their vacation or risk stumbling upon him.

Jemma jumped as someone cleared their throat just in front of her table. She looked up and she was glad she had finished her tea a long time ago or she would have probably spat it out on him, making matters worse. God, he looked even cuter up close with his big blue eyes and tentative smile. His tie was gone and his sleeves were rolled up and, if anything, that made him look even more… tempting. 

"Hi, you're Jemma, right?"

She nodded with her eyes wide open, probably looking like a deer in headlights.

"It's uh... I heard your friend call you that and—"

She suddenly remembered why her instinct was telling her to run. Unfortunately, he was between her and the door and his gaze was hypnotic, apparently making it impossible for her to move.

"Oh my god, I'm so, so, so sorry. I feel terribly embarrassed! My friend was being annoying and she kind of pushed me and I know that's no excuse but—"

"I've seen you on campus a lot and I couldn't find the courage to talk to you but now—"

"And I know it's completely inappropriate but it was meant as a compliment and I would never have said it if I knew—"

"I've seen you a few times at my show and I thought maybe—"

"Wait what? What campus? Do you-do you mean you're going to Oxford?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling.

"I can't believe I never noticed _you_…" she let out without thinking and his cheeks turned a little pink.

"Well, I don’t usually wear all this," he said with a little chuckle.

How awfully sweet of him to pretend he hadn't gotten her meaning.

"Anyway, I uh… I noticed you stayed and watched my show for the past few days and I thought—"

"I really like the music, you're a great musician," she blurted out.

"Oh," he let out, sounding disappointed, which made her cheer internally and realize it was now or never.

"Well maybe not just the music."

They shared another shy smile before he started talking again.

"Also, just to be clear, I didn't follow you or anything, I just walked by and saw you and I thought it was like a-a sign or something… Anyway, I wanted to know if you'd like to go out for coffee or a drink sometime, or you know, stay here and have another now? If you're not busy or—"

"Actually," she cut him off. "I wanted to leave a tip for the music earlier before I… uh… Before I had to leave and it would feel weird to do it now so… my treat, okay?"

"Sounds great," he said with a big smile before putting his huge bag on the ground and sitting across the table from her.

They ordered more tea and a scone for him and they remained silent for a moment as he literally devoured it. But then she remembered that, by some miracle, he didn't seem to have heard her earlier and she was thus given a chance to get to know him better and see if, by some other miracle, he was as interesting as he was talented and attractive. A chance she would ruin if she kept staring at him like he was some sort of rare specimen.

"So hu… I'm sorry I don't—"

He nodded as he finished gulping down the last of his scone before clearing his throat. 

"Ah of course, I should have introduced myself. I'm Fitz." 

"Very nice to meet you. So Fitz, what are you studying at Oxford? Music?"

He chuckled as he shook his head.

"Oh no, mum's very patriotic, very much in favor of Scottish independence and all that so she insisted I start playing the bagpipe when I was a kid. Turned out I wasn't too bad at it and it makes good money during the festival season. It's nicer than being a waiter or working at a factory for sure."

"Ah yes, I can imagine that."

He wasn't the only one playing in the streets in Edinburgh but with his talent and charm, he seemed to attract the most people. Women, obviously, but not only. There was just some sort of sincere friendliness that shone through his every word. 

"I've always been curious, you know. It must take an impressive amount of breath just to get any kind of sound out of such an instrument. Couldn't even play the flute properly when I had to in school."

He shook his head and smiled a little shyly.

"Well yes, I guess, but it's actually more about managing your breath intake and mouth and tongue placement. You could try on mine if you like, I'll show you how to blow in properly..."

Fitz trailed off as she burst out laughing and choked on her tea, making him blush to the roots of his hair. She really hated Daisy and her dirty mind sometimes. The poor boy was being so sweet and she was hearing the worst innuendos in an innocent sentence. It really wasn't a proud day for her.

"I mean I'll show you how to play the bagpipe and the proper way to—"

"Yeah, yeah obviously, sorry it's just—"

"Yeah," he cut her off once more, his face turning to an amused grin. "I’ve heard them all. I should know better by now."

They laughed and blushed and shared a few more shy smiles but after that, they both seemed to relax into the conversation. She could see he was biting his lip not to laugh as he did explain the proper technique and she did her best to focus on his lips as he did and not the images forming in her mind every time he mentioned his pipes. She felt like her cheeks were constantly warm as they spoke but it wasn't a disagreeable sensation, kind of like after she's had one drink on an empty stomach and everything felt like it was a little better, brighter, funnier or more beautiful than it usually was. And if she wasn't mistaken, his cheeks had a rather pinkish tint that suited him nicely. 

"So, what are you studying at Oxford?" she asked again when they seemed to have exhausted the topic of bagpipe for the moment. 

"I'm working on my mechanical engineering PhD. I should graduate at the end of the year."

Okay, so he was attractive, talented, sweet, funny _and_ smart. Was he even for real? Or was he the result of a wish someone with tastes very similar to hers, had made after throwing a coin into a wishing fountain.

"Oh, that sounds amazing, Fitz."

"And you're studying biology, right?" 

"Biochemistry actually, double PhD, but how do you—"

"I'm sorry, I know it's a bit creepy, it's just that I saw you outside of Dr Phillips' class several times. I needed her advice for the project I'm working on. I have a good visual memory and hu… you're very noticeable anyway."

"Oh, that's alright and I'm sorry too, I really feel like I should have noticed _you_."

"Oh no, I'm not very social, I mostly go from class to my dorm or the library and that's it so—"

'No really, I should have," she said, putting her hand on his, hoping this would carry her point across. He smiled and his fingers fluttered under hers, sending a nice little shiver up her arm. "So tell me about your project that requires the help of a biology professor."

-0-0-0-

Tea and scone were followed by more tea, which turned into a drink at the pub when the coffee shop closed, and ended as a surprisingly romantic dinner with what Fitz considered the best fish and chips in the city. She had to agree that it was one of the best she ever had but to be fair, it was the company she enjoyed the most. The video of his miniature drone project was really impressive and she was rather jealous of professor Phillips consulting on the project because her mind was already buzzing with ideas about how to add new features to the existing ones. Jemma had never been this excited to see the outcome of a science project that wasn't her own.

Also, despite Fitz's brain being quite the wonder, it wasn't the only thing she enjoyed about him. He was now walking her back to her hotel while holding her hand and it was like her skin was tingling with anticipation of what was to come. After the first time she touched his hand, neither of them had really let go. He'd reached for it tentatively as they walked from the coffee shop to the bar and she had felt another delightful thrill as she threaded her fingers through his and his warm hand had enveloped hers completely. Afterwards, he had played with her hand whenever they were not busy and it had required all her brainpower to remain focused on the conversation while he was doing that. He had very, very nice hands.

And now that they were getting dreadfully close to her hotel, she really wished she had saved more money for her vacation and been able to afford her own room instead of sharing with Daisy. Not that _something_ would happen with Fitz. Not so fast. She was almost positive about that. But it would still have been nice to have one last drink with him. Or maybe just a little bit more. He was so charming, smart and funny and his specific kind of awkwardness endeared him to her even more. And he had a really handsome face and, bloody hell, there really was something about the kilt that made her hormones go crazy.

"Jemma?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't that where you're staying?"

She looked up to see the tiny blue door of her hotel's entrance.

"Oh right, sorry. Just lost in thought."

"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave," he said with a little chuckle, sounding obviously disappointed.

"No, no, no," she said, squeezing his hand before he could let go. "I mean, I would invite you in but I'm sharing a room with my friend so…" Daisy had been sending her texts with the most ridiculous euphemisms since Jemma had texted to tell her she'd be spending the evening with Fitz and she really didn't feel like inviting him in, even if it really was just for a drink. Daisy would be awfully embarrassing.

"But I'd love to see you again. I mean not just by stalking you, a real date, if you're—"

"I'd love that," he replied with a beaming smile. "Stalking or else..."

She laughed lightly and moving before she lost her courage, she pushed herself up on her tiptoes, using their entwined hands as leverage, and kissed him softly on the lips. It was the sweetest, lightest brush of lips against lips, just to say goodnight and as a promise of what it could become, but he surprised her. 

She heard the dull sound of his bag hitting the ground and then his arm was around her waist, pulling her close. He captured her lower lip between his and she gasped slightly before melting into it. He was warm and surprisingly strong despite his lean figure and it all felt so good it was overwhelming. She moved her hand up into his hair, enjoying the soft springy quality of it as she pressed her tongue against the seam of his lips. He sighed and parted his lips as they deepened the kiss. Maybe her hormones weren't the only ones going crazy after all and that made her smile into the kiss. It was tender and careful but it quickly grew in intensity, lips warm and hungry and perfect as they glided against each other. As they swayed to an imaginary rhythm, they slowly moved back until she ended up trapped between his delightfully warm body and the cold wall behind her.

It was only when they broke the kiss that she realized her hand was no longer where she had put it on his waist but had moved down to rest on his bum. She would have taken it off and at least pretended to be a little shy but it felt really nice and the way Fitz was licking his lips as he rested his forehead against hers told her he wouldn't mind things going a little further between them.

"So... you really want to see what's under my kilt, don't you?"

"What? What do you… Fitz! Oh my god, you heard that?" 

She let her head fall against his shoulder, wondering if she could manage to move away from him and run back to her room without having to look him in the eyes ever again. Did he have this in mind all night while they were talking?

"It was hard to miss really," he said, voice teasing as he brought his hand up to cradle her neck as he kissed her hair. He had no right being this gentle and warm when she felt like the worst possible tart.

"That's so embarrassing!" she let out, the words muffled as she spoke them into his jacket. She suddenly remembered where her hand was and she pulled it off like it had been burned but he caught it halfway and pulled it up to his face.

"That's alright, you already apologized and hu… It was a good thing, really, or I would never have had the courage to ask you out." 

He pressed a kiss to her knuckles and she finally found the courage to lift her face up and crack an eye open.

"I really meant it as a compliment, you know," she said tentatively and his soft smile grew wider.

"I know and I don't mind showing you too," he said, letting go of her hand and reaching for the side of his kilt.

"No Fitz, I don't think it's very—"

"Really, it's no trouble—"

"Fitz, no that's— Oh." She couldn't help laughing at the very pleased smile on his face before tilting her head to the side to get a better look. "Well that's really cute. Are those—"

"Monkeys, yes! You didn't really think I'd go traditional, do you?" 

She shrugged, half relieved that he wasn't the kind of guy who would flash her in the middle of the street after a single kiss, and half disappointed that she wouldn't be able to fantasize about his kilt as much, knowing what was under it now. 

"It's a very windy place, Jemma, and there are lots of kids watching when I play!"

His slightly indignant look was awfully cute.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't want you to leave just because you were embarrassed. And it was worth it, right?"

"Yes," she replied, cradling his cheek before kissing him one more time, gentle and slow, enjoying the soft little noise he let out. Definitely worth it.

"So hum, I'm renting a small studio apartment not far from here. It's tiny but I don't have to share with anyone so if you like, we could go there and—" 

"You could teach how to blow in your pipe?"

He seemed to choke on his own saliva and it took a good thirty seconds of her tapping on his back to make the coughing stop but she was still grinning proudly when he finally looked back up at her, his whole face having turned beetroot red. He sighed before letting out a small chuckle.

"Alright, I suppose I deserved that," he said before his eyes went wide. "I mean the teasing, not the-the—"

"I know, Fitz," she cut him off. Not that he wouldn't ever deserve _that_, it was just a little too soon to know. She needed to spend more time with him. Another evening maybe. At least a few hours for sure. "And I'd love to come home with you. It's too early to say goodnight and for the kissing to stop."

"Yeah?" 

She nodded. 

"Yeah, I think so too," he said, beaming, as he pressed another light kiss to her lips. 

They started walking again, turning onto High Street again then going downhill, away from the castle, and Jemma couldn't help grinning to herself as the wind made both his kilt and her skirt fly a little. It was getting cold too so she wound her arm around his waist and he seemed really pleased as he put his around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Lifting her chin up until her lips were very close to his ear, she whispered: "And I still have to show you what's under _my_ skirt."


End file.
